Mommy probably threw it away!, the kids accuse whenever something goes missing in our house.
And I’ll admit it: I love to purge—it’s its own natural high. The problem is finding the time and motivation to do it. I feel like I’m forever throwing things away, yet more and more stuff accumulates. It’s a war on clutter, and I’m losing. Was it this way before we had children? Am I alone here? I think not.
When my kids were in preschool, I multitasked during parent-teacher conferences, separating their gigantic stacks of artwork into two piles. There was a dumpster at school near where we parked, and on the way out I would keep the handful of pieces I legitimately liked and then hoist the hundred other scribbles and dried-macaroni sculptures into the trash. (Fighting the battle on junk before it overran our doorstep far outweighed the guilt.)
Now the kids are old enough themselves to bring their projects home in vast piles; at the same time, the gadgets in their playroom have grown more unwieldy. I’m talking a standup punching bag, the 48-piece microscope set, and the Crayola crayon “maker.”
In this issue, we share secrets to purging, organizing, and even smelling fresh (yes, there is an ongoing fancy-soap boom). I don’t believe any mom will ever attain the neatness status she desires—personally, that’s what I’m saving old age for—but we all could use a little inspiration. I hope you find it in this issue.
Catherine Merrill Williams
President and Publisher
Since 2006 Catherine Merrill has been the CEO and Owner of Washingtonian Media, a media company that includes the flagship 59-year-old, Washingtonian — the national capital region’s leading magazine with more than 400,000 readers and winner of five National Magazine Awards. She oversees the award-winning website, Washingtonian.com which garners over 3 million page views per month and provides the platform for Washingtonian’s 1,000,000+ social media followers. Ms. Merrill also created Washingtonian Weddings, Washingtonian Welcome Guide; as well as launched Washingtonian Events which produces national award-winning events, and Washingtonian Custom Media, a content marketing agency. She is proud to be a certified women-owned small business.
From 2002 to 2007, Ms. Merrill served as Director of Operations for Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), where she helped manage and collect 60 percent of the nation’s tolls—$2.7 billion a year—including the majority of the E-ZPass network. Prior to joining ACS, from 1995 to 2002, she was a partner in the worldwide management consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
Ms. Merrill is very active in the community and serves on the board of trustees of multiple organizations including the University of Maryland College Park (where she also chairs the Board of Visitors for the School of Journalism), Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the City and Regional Magazine Association, Ford’s Theater, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and The Merrill Family Foundation. She is on the Board of Advisors and is a founding member of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation and sits on the National Advisory Council for the Trust for the National Mall. She is a member and former chapter chair of YPO (Young President’s Organization) as well as an active member in the Economics Club of Washington and the Federal City Council. She has appeared on CNN, the Today Show, CNN Headline News, FOX, MSNBC, as well as other local Washington stations.
She holds a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics.
Ms. Merrill resides in Washington, D.C. with her two sons. She enjoys sailing, skiing, and travel.
